Purported Tren de Aragua member avoids prison after pleading guilty to selling rifles to undercover ATF agents
A Venezuelan Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Firearms to Undercover ATF Agents in Chicago
Jose Vasquez Hernandez, a Venezuelan man identified as a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua street gang, has been sentenced to 18 months after pleading guilty to selling firearms to undercover ATF agents in Chicago. Court records show that Vasquez Hernandez did not serve any time in an actual prison due to the state’s standard 50% sentence reduction and credit for time already served in the Cook County Jail.
The case against Vasquez Hernandez began in the spring of 2025 when an informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives initiated communication with him to arrange a gun sale in Chicago. This investigation was part of a broader operation targeting suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
Prosecutors alleged that Vasquez Hernandez showed up near 16th Street and Homan Avenue on July 10 last year, identifying himself as the associate of another gun dealer. He led the agents and informant to a garage, retrieved firearms, and engaged in a gun sale captured on video and audio.
In addition to firearms, Vasquez Hernandez allegedly discussed selling a synthetic drug mixture known as “Tusi” or “pink cocaine,” but no drug transactions were completed, and he was not charged with any narcotics offenses.
Despite the involvement of federal investigators, Vasquez Hernandez faced state charges of delivering a firearm without a license and aggravated possession of a weapon. He pleaded guilty to one delivery charge, leading to the 18-month sentence imposed by Judge Thomas Byrne, which was offset by the state’s 50% reduction and time served in custody.
Last summer, Cook County Judge Luciano Panici Jr. ordered Vasquez Hernandez’s detention, citing his affiliation with a transnational criminal organization. Prosecutors noted that he was a Venezuelan citizen and not a legal resident of the United States.
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